


Cane Sugar

by frozenCinders



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-15
Updated: 2019-09-15
Packaged: 2020-10-18 19:56:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20644802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frozenCinders/pseuds/frozenCinders
Summary: A fire, a wolf, a haunted staff, and, as always, a winged needle. That's how Shalnark files this day away in his mind.





	Cane Sugar

**Author's Note:**

> imagine being this bad at coming up with fic titles jesus christ. anyway i actually went into this intending to write something completely different but got a fun little heist aftermath instead

That took a lot more time than either of them were expecting. Shalnark can't even spare a moment to admire Feitan's handiwork as he's waterboarding the sole survivor of the fire they'd just caused in the sink of the half-ruined building they've ducked into. He's sure Feitan must be doing an excellent job based on how terrified and miserable the guy sounds, barely able to breathe between watery sobs even when Feitan lets him. Shalnark is too busy scouring the place for rubbing alcohol to clean his needles with, as Feitan had snatched the small bottle he usually keeps on him to feed the flames. Shalnark feels the urge to complain about it again, but he already gave him an earful earlier.

Feitan usually prefers slower, roundabout methods and complicated torture, but this is quick and easy and by the time Shalnark gets back out to the kitchen with a found bottle of rubbing alcohol in hand, their captive is on his knees with his head bowed at Feitan's feet as he spills every confession he has, albeit inhibited by frequent coughs. Feitan doesn't bother hiding his disappointment that he broke so easily despite their time constraints. Shalnark, as always, feels a certain kinship with that.

Shalnark wasn't there for the entirety of the confession, but he did manage to hear the address they were looking for and quickly texts it to Franklin, who is with Phinks and significantly closer to the location. They'll still have to hurry to catch up. The guy scrambles backwards as Shalnark steps up to the sink to give his needles a quick cleaning.

"Why didn't you do that in the bathroom?"

"I didn't feel like leaving you alone for longer than I had to," Shalnark answers honestly, shoving past the initial excuses he came up with. Feitan is a difficult person to lie to, even if the lie would be small and insignificant.

"Why are you so clingy?" Feitan teases, and Shalnark can tell that's what he's doing because, even though his mouth is hidden, he can still see his eyes, and he's _very_ familiar with the subtleties of Feitan's expressions by now.

"I am not!" Shalnark pretends to pout anyway, though the illusion of innocence is quite hampered by the way he casually leans down and snaps their captive's neck before he can make a real effort to escape. "I'm being a responsible partner!"

They tread quickly through the smoldering embers of the fire they'd brought to life just an hour ago, making their way to the abandoned hangar the "haunted" white oak staff should currently reside in. Really, they'd be doing the world a favor by stealing it, since it apparently tries to kill whoever touches it. Fortunately or not, there's actually a huge market for haunted items, so this deadly weapon that can only kill the person who tries to use it has been heavily guarded ever since it was first infused with Nen, surely.

It's a good thing Franklin came along for this one, because a huge hangar full of guards sounds like the perfect match for his Double Machine Gun. Shalnark doesn't thrive in swarms of enemies like he and Phinks do. And hell, Feitan is quick enough to take down swathes of men before they can even think to touch him. He sends both Franklin and Phinks a text to leave at least one survivor so Shalnark can use Black Voice to have the poor doll grab the staff for them. He gets a short affirmative from Phinks almost immediately, and then a relatively lengthier text from Franklin a few minutes later stating that there is one mostly unharmed survivor, as requested.

Shalnark was expecting a staff like in a fantasy setting, but the treasure they seek is actually more like a cane. He frowns at the sight of it, but figures it makes sense for people trying to embellish this thing to call it a staff. There are also only about a dozen bodies or so scattered about.

"Yeah, not as cool as you were expecting, huh?" Phinks quips, and the sharpness of his tone combined with the slight chuckle in his voice tells Shalnark that he's still riding on adrenaline.

"They didn't give you any trouble, did they?" he asks as he approaches Phinks and the young man he's restraining.

"Fuck, you tell me."

Shalnark slips a needle into the young man's neck as he says that, and Phinks takes that as permission to release his arms. He turns around and points to his back-- not that he even needed to point out the huge gash, as it's understandably eye-catching. Feitan sighs when he sees it.

"Still have that bottle?" he asks Shalnark, who of course left it at that house because it was too large to fit in any pocket.

"We can find more," he says.

"Idiot. You were only careless because you knew I was here to clean up after you," Feitan complains, but he approaches to take a look at the wound anyway.

"Hand to god, it wasn't that I was being careless. I mean, fuck, we should have kept that one alive instead of this Nenless fool."

"Which one?" Shalnark asks, though his attention is on his new doll as it mindlessly obeys his command to pick up the staff from where it leans delicately on a crate. With Gyo active, he sees strands of Nen whip out at his doll, and cuts open up where the tendrils lashed. That explains that, he supposes.

"That guy with the, uh-- fuck, what are those called? The feathers?" He looks to Franklin for a hint.

"Pauldrons? Feathered pauldrons?" Franklin offers, and he walks over to check on the body in question.

"Yeah, that's it. Motherfucker turned into a wolf. Like, a whole wolf, made of aura. I think it was some Transmuter thing? I bet the boss would love to steal an ability like that."

"Aw, it's a shame he died, then! No pulse, right?"

Franklin carefully checks for a moment.

"No, no pulse."

"Damn. Taking that guy down took some doing, though. Should've held back."

"Stop moving around," Feitan scolds, and now he's trying to get Phinks's jacket open to get a better look at what he's dealing with. Since Feitan is very much in the business of hurting as much as possible for as long as possible without killing, he's the closest thing the Troupe has ever had to a doctor in terms of knowledge, technique, and experience-- even if not proper training. Machi is a close second, but Shalnark has no idea who might be in third.

Shalnark ends up traveling back to the boss with Franklin as Feitan has to stay behind to take care of Phinks. Thankfully, the staff isn't quite as vicious as Shalnark had been expecting, as it's only been lightly lacerating his doll without breaking it. It even survives the whole trek to the safehouse. As soon as they arrive, the boss takes a good look at the staff before summoning his book and flipping through it. He examines one of the pages before grabbing the staff with his bare hand and apparently forcing it into a state of Zetsu.

"Oh, I didn't know you stole an ability like that!"

Chrollo regards him with a fondness in his eyes that Shalnark has come to recognize as excitement that exists only immediately before, during, or after a heist. It's satisfying to see that look on his face.

"Well, it only works on items that have been "haunted". That is, Nen-infused items where the owner of that Nen has perished. The ability is simply called Purification."

"Huh? Why purify it? Isn't the whole appeal that it's haunted?"

"Oh, you misunderstand. I'm not exorcising it."

He pulls the staff away from Shalnark's doll and presses it to the ground, leaning against it. Then he looks up at the doll and those same tendrils of Nen furiously stab into it and Shalnark's phone goes dark, signifying that his doll has broken. Chrollo relieves the staff of his weight and picks it up, twirling it once in his hand.

"It simply obeys my will now. I didn't have to use my own Nen just then," he explains.

"Sounds handy, even if you probably don't get much use out of it," Franklin comments. He picks the broken doll up with ease and walks away to remove it from the grounds.

"Wait, I need my needle back!"

Franklin pulls it out and tosses it to him.

"Hey!"

Shalnark catches it, but he gripes anyway that Franklin shouldn't throw his things around. He'd _just_ cleaned his needles too, and now one of them is already dirty again. It'd be easier if he had a separate one for Autopilot so he wouldn't have to care as much about keeping them clean, but both of them look exactly the same and he can't risk sticking himself with a contaminated needle.

"Where are Phinks and Feitan?" Chrollo asks, taking a seat to examine the staff more closely now. He seems particularly interested in the texture of a spot just under the handle, repeatedly running his fingers over it in a short pattern. The wood might be chipped there or something.

"Oh, apparently Phinks got into a scuffle with a wolfman. Franklin can probably tell you more since he was actually there to witness it. Feitan stayed with him to take care of a pretty nasty scrape on his back."

"But he's alright?"

"If he wasn't, Feitan would have said something by now. He didn't seem bothered by it at all, just wound up a bit."

Chrollo hums in acknowledgement, his eyes still on the staff. This is probably going to be a favorite treasure of his for a bit until he inevitably gets bored of it and pawns it off. Shalnark wonders if the staff would be upset to part with Chrollo now that it's wired to obey him. On the other hand, it might simply relent to his will and allow itself to be passed to whomever.

Franklin returns shortly and, with some prompting from Shalnark, tells the two of them more about the fight between Phinks and the wolfman. Indeed, Chrollo closes his eyes and sighs in light-hearted disappointment at the missed opportunity to take such an ability for himself. As it turns out, since Chrollo is much more inclined towards interesting abilities than anything else, his collection of combat-oriented abilities seems to be quite small. Shalnark would love an opportunity to flip through that book someday to see the whole collection for himself.

It's about two hours later that Feitan and Phinks show up, the latter of whom is shirtless since his jacket had been torn open at the back anyway. He's bandaged up properly, but being an Enhancer and all, he probably won't need to wear them for long. Chrollo seems satisfied with the head count and gives permission for two people to leave. The remaining two will stay with Chrollo for a few days, as per usual. Shalnark typically lingers, but he's been away from home for too long and just wants to lay in bed for a good long while, so he elects to leave. Feitan eyes him and, even though Shalnark expects him to stay just in case something goes wrong with Phinks's injury, he also chooses to leave.

Shalnark doesn't poke fun about it until they're alone outside.

"Who's clingy now?" he laughs. Feitan stares at him and Shalnark can tell he's contemplating turning right back around and staying with the boss after all.

"Still you. Prove me wrong."

Despite the challenge, Shalnark isn't even tempted. He happily accepts Feitan's company and they continue their playful banter until the time comes for them to part ways. Shalnark has a lot of sleeping to catch up on.


End file.
